THE FIRSTNET AUTHORITY UPDATE | July 26, 2021

Featured | Engagements | FirstNet in Action | In the News | Social

FEATURED PUBLIC SAFETY ENGAGEMENT

FirstNet resources that enhance response effortsEarlier this month, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety division of Emergency Communication Networks (DPS-ECN) invited a FirstNet Authority team to talk about FirstNet’s advanced capabilities and unique features available to first responders nationwide. Some of the resources they discussed include:

FirstNet Deployable Program. FirstNet offers more than 100 deployable network assets to subscribers, including three flying COWS (cell on wheels), three communication vehicles, four compact rapid deployables, and an aerostat. FirstNet users can request deployable assets at no extra cost to support disasters, critical incidents, and planned events.

Non-deployable solutions. FirstNet offers a host of non-deployable solutions including its MegaRange HPUE (high-power user equipment) devices that extend stronger signals in rural or remote areas or in dense urban settings. Recently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) within the U.S. Department of Justice experienced Cel-Fi GO RED, a smart signal booster to deliver FirstNet in-building coverage.

Using a FirstNet Cache. During an emergency or event, FirstNet offers first responders access to a cache of FirstNet devices to extend the network’s capabilities and coverage. FirstNet’s cache kits include a Statewide Interoperability Coordinator Kit, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) Kit, and an Incident Response Kit. All cache kits support varying levels of emergency support ranging from relocating emergency operations, supporting radio cellular PTT, or providing basic voice and texting for connectivity prior to deploying FirstNet mobile assets.

FirstNet Central. Through FirstNet Central, FirstNet users can access an advanced

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network status view during routine operations or emergency response. Access provides responders with near real-time situational awareness, such as locating the nearest cell sites to determine whether a deployable asset should be requested. Travis Johnson, Interoperability Program Manager and Statewide Interoperability Coordinator with the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, used the portal’s information to determine what communications assets to send with search and rescue teams in response to Hurricane Laura. He said “FirstNet Central enabled us to make better decisions about where to send our limited resources.”

FirstNet Assist and Uplift. Through the FirstNet Assist App, FirstNet users can use the network’s Uplift Tool to grant temporary priority access to their public safety partners. During pandemic response, healthcare workers who administered care or vaccines in pop-up clinics nationwide took advantage of being uplifted to enable prioritized communications.

Applications. The FirstNet App Catalog features more than 160 unique and highly secure applications. As the list continues to grow, the effect of providing first responders with public safety-focused apps during emergency operations will significantly improve the safety and security of our communities.

The FirstNet Authority thanks Minnesota’s Regional Interoperability Coordinators for the opportunity to discuss FirstNet’s latest developments with public safety agencies across the state. We look forward to future opportunities to support Minnesota’s state and local first responders.

SELECT UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTSUpcoming Webinars Date PSAC Executive Committee July Teleconference July 26 PSAC Bi-Monthly Webinar July 27 IAFC-Fire Rescue International July 28-30 PSAC Tribal Working Group August Teleconference August 3 FirstNet During the Pandemic: An Inside Look August 5 APCO International Annual Conference FirstNet Authority Quarterly Board Meeting

August 15-18 August 18

For interest in attendance for any of our webinars, please email Outreach@firstnet.gov.

FIRSTNET IN ACTION

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FirstNet Helps Wyoming Responders Prepare for Fires, Floods, and Blizzards Teton County is a rural county in northwest Wyoming. Situated in the Teton Range, the county experiences weather hazards including fires, floods, and wintery conditions, as well as earthquakes, landslides, and avalanches. Teton County first responders rely on FirstNet’s hardened network to stay connected in the most remote parts of the county and during tourist season when cell networks grow congested.

Listen to this episode of the Public Safety First podcast to hear how FirstNet is supporting emergency management in Wyoming as they respond to disasters.

FirstNet network advances public safety communicationscapabilitiesFirst responders across the country are getting a major boost in their wireless communications with the addition of new, purpose-built FirstNet cell sites. This new infrastructure is a part of the FirstNet network expansion that is bringing increased coverage, capacity, and capabilities for public safety.

Read more about the benefits for first responders in South Carolina and North Carolina.

FIRSTNET IN THE NEWSNational CoverageFirstNet Uplift Request Tool Provides Support During Network Congestion Inside Towers, July 20

Penn State Selects FirstNet Service MissionCritical Communications, July 13

Penn State Police Adopt FirstNetMeriTalk, July 8

Regional CoverageWireless AT&T tower planned at Goldfield Ghost TownYour Valley, July 14

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BE SOCIAL WITH FIRSTNET

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